Well drilling mechanism



Jupe s, 1937.

c. R. wlGNEss ET AL 2,082,865

WELL DRILLING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 li'I CRM' Bg.LUJJ

gnwswm June 8, 1937.

c. R. WIGNEss ET A1. 2,082,865

WELL DRILLING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mi CRNIgnwSS 1.00. Mpby Quorum n als a4; A

Patented `une 8, 1937 UNITED STATES WELL DRILLING MECHANSM Cornelius R. Wigness and James W. Kirby,

l Harlan, Iowa Application December 14, 1935, Serial No. 54,468

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in well drilling mechanism and specifically to the mechanism for moving and controlling the movements of the cables used in drilling and removing the disintegrated rock or dislodged earth and sand therefrom and is designed particularly for use in locations where clay, loam or sand are encountered, and water is generally to be found above bed rock.

The invention has for its object, broadly, to provide mechanism having a lesser number of parts than heretofore used so that movements of the cables will require less power, and that there will be less friction than ordinary. Also the invention includes such a construction for the mechanism that manufacture of the same may be carried on at a lesser expense than usual, and that operation will be convenient and may be under control of a single attendant.

With the foregoing objects in view the invention presents a new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as de scribed herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in form, size, proportion of parts and minor details, said changes being within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan View of operating mechanism embodying our invention, parts of the drums being in section.

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 relate to details. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation illustrating the -use of a movable crank for operation of the drill. Fig. 3 is a side view of a driven gear wheel and an idler gear wheelV in engagement therewith. Fig. 4 is an end view of a clutch and its automatic brake, each clutch and its brake being provided for an end of a drum, and Fig. 5 is a View of a sandpump partly in section. i

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, the mechanism consists, in part, of a power shaft 5 provided with a pulley 6 adapted to be rotated by any suitable means, said shaft having bearings 'I on a frame 8, and keyed on said shaft to rotate therewith is a small gear wheel 9.

Numeral Ill indicates a sand-drum which is loosely mounted on the shaft 5, said sand-drum being provided at one of its ends witha clutchwheel II.

Numeral I2 indicates` an idler shaft having bearings I3. on the frame 8, and provided at its ends with cranks I4 and I 4. At I5 is indicated a second drinn which is mounted as an idler on (Cl. Z55-11) this shaft, said drum being provided at its end with a second clutch-Wheel i6.

At I'I is indicated a gear wheel which is in mesh with the gear wheel 9, and is mounted as an idler on said shaft l2. 5

The parts above named are allthat relateV to the present invention except certain brakes, clutches and hand levers which will be described and which relate to operation. It is considered that the mechanism now provided may be used pg) to great advantage in connection with the dern ricks and parts thereon of ordinary well-drilling machines.

It will 'be understood that, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, a drill a: may be attached to the L; cable I9 and that the cable may be reciprocated longitudinally to permit the drill to have suitable vertical strokes in a well, the churning movements or strokes of the drill operating to dislodge the earth and to break up the rock, said drill 2C operating at varying depths in the ground, and the cable and drill being lowered into the Well for this purpose.

Also for purposes of drilling wells the cable I9, as shown in Fig. 2, is generally wound upon a S5 drum I5 and is supported on pulleys I3, 2t and ZI, the pulley 20 together with arm 22 having a rocking movement from the pivot 23 on a standard 24 to permit the drill to have a drop movement, a coupling-bar 25 being used for con- 3@ necting the pivot of the pulley liti to the crank I4, the length of the stroke of the drill, obviously, being equal to twice the length of the crank.

It will be understood that the parts shown in Fig. 2 are used in duplicate for reciprocating the 35 drill-cable I9 vertically, said duplicate part not being shown. In Fig. 2 `only crank III is shown, but for drilling, both of the cranks ifi and Iii are used, and an extra operating-cable i9 is used and is joined to the cable I9v as indicated at m' these two operating-cables being secured to the cranks I4 and I4 and attached to the drillcable I9.

The drum is provided with a cable 26, and upon this cable is secured a sand-pump z, and for lowering the sand-pump into a well the idler drum Il! is permitted to rotate in one direction under control of a brake 3I for the clutch-wheel II, said brake being pressed lightly against said clutch-wheel by movement of the clutch-member 36 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 5 and is under control of a hand lever 35. To elevate the sand-pump from the well the brake is pressed firmly on the wheel-clutch II during the rotation of the power shaft 5.

In order that the objects of the invention may be attained as rst mentioned, certain controlmeans, including brakes, clutches and handlevers are employed, the result being that a 5, lesser number of parts will be required for operation.

For instance, when it is required to elevate the drill from a well, a hand-lever 21 is used for moving the clutch-member 28 into engagement with the idler gear Wheel I'I 4to cause rotation of the shaft I2. A second hand-lever 29 is then used for moving a second clutch-member 30 into engagement with the second clutch-wheel I6, the result being that the rope or cable I9 will become wound on the drum, I5 for elevating the drill.

To permit the drill to move to the bottom of a well, the second drum I5 is permitted, as an idler on the shaft I 2, to have a rotation in a reverse direction to that last mentioned, under control of a brake-member 3I.

Two of these brakes 3l are used, one being provided for the first clutch-wheel II and the other for the second clutch-wheel I5. Since the '353 clutch-wheel I I is illustrated in section the brake therefor is not shown, but will be understood by reference to Figs. l and 4 of the drawings.

This brake is automatic in operation and is important since Wells may have a considerable depth,

i and since the drill as well as the sand-pump e have a considerable weight, the speed or movement thereof, when one of them. is lowered in a well, should be under control to avoid possible breakage.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the break 3l is provided With a clamping-arm 32, and by use of a bell-crank 33 which is pivotally connected with said arm 32 and is also connected with a second hand-lever 29 by means of a link 3d, a move- 40 ment of said hand-lever for releasing the clutchmember 3Q from the clutch-wheel I 6 will cause the brake 3l to be pressed against the periphery of the clutch-wheel I6.

In the operation of drilling, the drum I 5 is not rotated, the clutch-member SII by use of the handlever 29 being disengaged from the clutch-wheel I6, but by use of the hand-lever 2'? the clutchmember 28 is moved into engagement with the idler gear-wheel I'I which causes rotation of the shaft I2 and actuation of the cranks III and I4', and since the cables I9 Will be mounted as above mentioned, the drill will be operated.

Whenever it is required to remove sand and loose earth or pieces of rock from the Well, the

hollow receptacle e (Fig. 5) generally called a sand-pump is used as above described.

The clutch 36, for its immediate movements, is provided with a rock-bar 3l', one of its ends being pivotally fulcrumed at a, said rock-bar being attached to an arm of a bell-crank 38, and the other arm of this bell-crank being connected with the hand-lever 35, and a longitudinal movement of this last named lever will move the bell-crank 38 for moving the rock-bar 37 and clutch-membei 36.

The rock-bar 3i is ulcrumed at one end as indicated at b, and the hand-lever 29 is fulcrumed at its end as indicated at c on the frame. The letter d indicates the fulcruln for the end of hand-lever 2.

The use of the well-drilling and sand-lifting mechanism described herein Will be appreciated on account of its advantages. It will be noted that only three hand-levers are required for operation and that they are disposed at one side of the mechanism and are near each other so that all operation may be under control of a single attendant.

Also since only two shafts are now used, the entire mechanism will occupy a limited area, and this is of great advantage.

Well drilling machines and their sand-pumping means generally used are mounted on large specifically constructed vehicles. By use of tle present invention a lesser wheel-base will be required as a carrier, the result being the saving of a considerable expense.

We claim as our invention:-

l. In Well-drilling and sand-pumping mechanism, an idler crank-shaft, an idler gear wheel on the idler crank-shaft provided with a clutch, an idler drum on the idler crank-shaft provided with a clutch-wheel, a drill-supporting cable on said drum, a power-shaft, a gear wheel carried by the power-shaft in mesh with the idler gear wheel, a second drum., said second drum being mounted as an idler on the power-shaft and provided with a clutch-wheel, a sand-pump supporting-cable on the second drum, a clutch-member on the crank-shaft for the clutch-wheel of the first named drum, and a clutch-member on 'the power-shaft for the clutch-Wheel of the second drum.

2. In well-drilling and sand-pumping mechanism, an idler crank-shaft, an idler drum on the crank-shaft, a drill-supporting cable on said drum., a power-shaft, a second idler drum on the power shaft, a sand-pump supporting-cable on the second drum, co-operating devices on the power-shaft and crank-shaft for causing rotation of the crank-shaft by action of the powershaft, zzo-operating devices on the rst named drum and crank-shaft to cause rotation of said rst named drum by action of said crank-shaft, co-operating devices on the power-shaft and second drum to cause rotation of the second drum by action of said power-shaft, a rock-arm mounted to swing in a circles arc for longitudinal reciprocation of the drill-supporting-cable, a link pivotally mounted on the crank of the crankshaft and pivoted to the link, and guide-pulleys engaged by said drill-supporting-cable for controlling the direction of movements of said cable.

3. In well-drilling and sand-pumping mechanism., an idler crank-shaft provided at its ends with crank-arms, an idler drum on the idler crank-shaft, drill-supporting cables on said drum, a power-shaft, a second idler drum on the powershaft, a sand-pump supporting-cable on the drum ci the power-shaft, engaging co-operating devices operative at will to cause rotation of the idler crank-shaft by action of the power-shaft, engaging co-operating devices operative at will to cause rotation of the rst named drum by action of the crank-shaft, engaging co-operating devices for causing rotation of the second drum by action of the power-shaft, a pair of rock-arms mounted to swing in a circles arc for longitudinal reciprocation of the drill-supporting cables, a pair of links each pivotally mounted on a crankarm and pivoted to a crank-arm, and guidepulleys for controlling the direction of movements of the drill-supporting cables.

CORNELIUS R. WIGNESS. JAMES W. KIRBY. 

